Tangerine Sky
by floatxxaway
Summary: Post-movie. In which there is accidental intoxication by cannabis, some fluff, and love.


_Say goodbye to a tangerine sky_

_Say hello, say hello to tomorrow_

_When you say goodbye to a tangerine sky_

_Lose your pain, lose your fear, lose your sorrow_

**tangerine sky**; kottonmouth kings;

Marcus opens his eyes and looks up at the sun, at the rolling spill of white clouds across a too blue sky. He shields his face with the back of his hand even though the light is not that bright.

They had been making their way back home, following the familiar easy path and talking of the work of the day and next. Marcus had already felt a great strain coming in his leg, the muscle stiff as they had finished up.

Marcus could not wait to reach the peaceful fire of their hearth and rest. On the way, they had also passed a neighboring farm that was burning back stubble and Marcus was glad they were now free of the thick, too sweet smoke of the crops.

"You know what it is?" Esca had asked, bumping shoulders with him. "It is used to make rope." He pointed in the vague direction of the farm. "Your canvas sails?"

"Oh! Oh, of course I know what it is," Marcus had said, mildly embarrassed and turning his face away as they walked on. "I have just never smelled it – burning before."

And eventually, a discussion and argument had ensued, over what Marcus is not even sure of anymore, though it t had caused him to fight back a little cheaply. He had caught Esca up and pressed a thumb into the ticklish spot where thigh meets hip.

It had closed the argument, sure, with Esca letting out an amazingly amusing sound as he wiggled away. But Esca had come back immediately and Marcus isn't going to be blamed for why they ended up tumbling into the small grassy field where they lay now.

_Esca_, Marcus mouths as his mind forms the wonderful name and it feels like everything. He turns his head to the side and looks at Esca sprawled next to him.

Esca has his arms folded behind his head with his eyes closed, normal serious expression relaxed, looking younger as he soaks up the fading sunlight. Marcus is struck by this image Esca makes and his already quick heart takes further strides in his chest.

He reminds Marcus of the god Apollo and it's not the first time Marcus has poetically compared them, in Esca's honor and duty and fierce determination. He is reminded of Apollo Agraeus during their hunts, in the curve of Esca's bow or the flight of his arrow and land of his mark.

Marcus won't ever share this or even utter it aloud, although he does not think Apollo would be offended by the similarities Marcus is drawing, or that Esca would react negatively.

Marcus thinks he drifts off, but when he opens his eyes again, Esca's are too. He's looking over at Marcus with a smile and Marcus' face heats easily, smiling back because he's _happy._ He's happy to be lying here in the grass with Esca like people with nothing but each other and that moment, and maybe in a way they are.

"Hey there," Esca says, his smile getting bigger. "What is it you see?"

"You," Marcus answers. "I see you, Esca."

"And what is it you're thinking of?"

Marcus lets out a small laugh, feeling like a boy. He teases, "I am thinking of the leftover honeycakes I didn't pack with us, waiting at home."

Esca's face lights up as he laughs. The corners of his eyes crinkle and Marcus wants to kiss the framing lines that are made around his mouth in mirth. "Honeycakes, you say? You look upon me and think of honeycakes?"

"Would they not be delicious right now?"

Esca pauses as if in consideration and then laughs again, saying, "Yes, they would."

Marcus' leg doesn't even hurt anymore, but his face is still too warm and his heart seems intent on the frantic pace it has set in his chest. It all increases as Esca crawls the short distance between them, lying onto his side with an arm holding himself up as he looks down at Marcus.

"Hey there," Esca says again, bringing a hand up to stroke Marcus' arm.

Marcus feels it with such a sharp clarity, his skin alight by the pleasant scrape of callouses that travel up under the sleeve of his tunic, material bunching up as Esca grasps his shoulder.

Esca uses his grip to coax Marcus onto his side so they're facing one another much better. Esca drops his hand to Marcus' belt and tugs it free before Marcus even notices.

Esca is still smiling, open and loving, as he kisses Marcus. That quick hand is under the bottom of his tunic next and Marcus can't help but let out the gasp because Esca's every touch feels so _good_.

Marcus tries to follow Esca's mouth when it leaves him, but his head is being nudged to the side. Esca licks at the line of Marcus' jaw, and Marcus knows he must taste of sweat, but Esca doesn't pause as his tongue makes a path down his neck.

"Esca!" Marcus gasps out, shuddering as that tongue moves across his collarbones to the hollow at the center of his throat. Marcus clutches at him, the fabric of Esca's tunic an anchor.

"You got me thinking, dear Marcus, about what else would be delicious right now."

"Oh?" Marcus manages, hands sliding into Esca's hair as Esca pulls the collar of his tunic down to taste his chest.

Esca makes a soft sound of affirmation, hooking a leg around Marcus'. He rolls their hips together, the point of his tongue dragging back up the front of Marcus' throat.

"Do I suffice?" Marcus refuses to admit his laughter comes out in a childish octave as he compares honeycakes to himself.

The thought turns naughty (and he should be discomfited by it, but he can't find it in him right now) at the idea of feeding Esca honeycakes while they're wrapped around each other like this, or of fingers dripped in the batter, or –

"You are far more delicious, Marcus," Esca says as he nips at the protruding cartilage around Marcus' larynx, one of his favorite spots, and Marcus gives a choked off moan.

Marcus can feel Esca smiling again and he knows it's smug. Marcus' eyes drift shut and he's almost surprised by his admission, but he wants Esca, wants everything Esca wants. Really, Marcus has so much _want_ and _need_ for everything that is Esca right now.

Esca guides Marcus onto his back as he licks over Marcus' chin and takes his mouth again. Marcus immediately loops his arms around Esca as he settles his knees on either side of Marcus' thighs.

Marcus kisses him back, tongue slipping past to seek Esca's. Their noses bump when Marcus fixes the seal of their lips and the kiss becomes more open mouthed.

Marcus loses his breath, gasping for it in dazed pleasure as he breaks away. He sits them up, Esca astride his lap and their arms tangled up in each other.

Esca cups his face and Marcus looks up at him. Esca, framed by the melting colors of the sunset behind him, wet lips tilting into a softer smile even as Marcus is consumed a little by the fervor in Esca's eyes. Marcus wonders again if Esca can feel the race of pulse under his fingers, if he can feel how _warm_ Marcus is.

Esca leans away, hands dropping to the bottom of Marcus' tunic and yanking it up. Marcus lifts his arms to assist, Esca tossing it to the side.

When Marcus tries to return the gesture, Esca lightly smacks his hands away. He's not pouting, but it's not very fair and Esca laughs when Marcus tells him as much.

"Let me look upon you, Marcus," Esca says as his fingers start at Marcus' belly again, stroking up the slope of stomach to ribs, to his torso, ghosting over nipples. "Let me touch you, hmm?"

Esca's fingers move up to his throat and then tangle in Marcus' hair, tilting his head back. Esca brushes his lips to Marcus', a chaste kiss that contradicts Esca's next one.

Esca dips down, still holding Marcus in place, and the edges of teeth scrape over where Marcus can feel the throb of his blood through the thick vein in his neck. Marcus gasps as Esca's mouth closes to suck a fierce wet kiss, hands fluttering unsure until they clutch at Esca's arms.

Esca rocks against him, rolling hips up and then downward onto Marcus' sex that strains against the barriers. Marcus' hips jerk and Esca laughs as he lets him go.

Marcus is so overwhelmed between his body and Esca's, but it's good, so good. Esca licks a stripe down Marcus' nape, pausing for only a moment before his mouth is on the curve of shoulder and biting down.

Esca's tongue laves across after to soothe. He looks down at Marcus as he pushes at him, flattening him back onto the ground. He asks, "Marcus, will you let me taste you?"

"Yes," Marcus breathes. _Yes, yes, yes, please._ "Was that not what you were doing already?"

Esca grins and moves down Marcus' body, away from Marcus' hands that reach out after him automatically, until he's sitting by Marcus' outstretched feet.

"You're still covered," Marcus complains again. "May I not look upon you?"

"Not yet," Esca says, untying Marcus' boots and pulling them off. His hands follow the length of Marcus' legs up and up, skipping over the tenting of the braccae until they reach Marcus' hips. Esca tugs on the top of the garment before undoing the strings.

Marcus closes his eyes, concentrates on his breathing. When Esca tugs again, Marcus lifts his hips and lets Esca take the last piece of clothing. His skin is warm, the air is cool, and Marcus is _naked_ while Esca is still completed covered.

This is still not fair, but then Marcus forgets to care as much as Esca takes his hard cock in hand.

Marcus can hear and feel when Esca settles down in the grass between his legs, slowly stroking Marcus' full sex as he does. There is a slight, but interesting, brush of Esca's stubble as he rubs a cheek against Marcus' inner thigh, making Marcus squirm in a confusing sway away or toward.

Marcus' eyes fly open at the slide of tongue from the base of his cock all the way to the tip, Esca's amused but heated eyes looking up at him. Marcus shivers, overwhelmed by sensation again, but lets his head fall back with a moan when Esca does it again.

Esca wraps his mouth around just the head of Marcus' cock, pushing his tongue flat against the underside. He continues to stroke as he takes more, and more, easing up and then down until he meets the circle of his grip. Marcus can't help the noises he makes, biting his lip or hand but they spill past. Esca shows clear delight in them by increasing the pressure of his mouth and fingers.

"Esca, _oh_," Marcus groans, back arching and hands falling down to rest in Esca's hair.

Esca pulls his mouth off, working Marcus' cock as he muses out loud almost conversationally, "You know, Marcus, I wonder if you'd let me taste you elsewhere?"

"Elsewhere?" Marcus asks. He's not sure what to do with his hands anymore and when he reaches out to Esca, a free hand just bats his away again. Marcus makes fists in the grass near him and thrusts up into Esca's grip. "Where do you mean?"

Esca hums and all of Marcus' focus drops to Esca's mouth as it hovers back over his sex. Marcus can feel Esca's breath on his cock, and his heart is racing, and his skin is tingling, and _oh_ –

Esca's head dips lower, a nose to his testicles as his hand grips Marcus and pumps fast, hard. He gives them a firm lick, and that's it, Marcus is spending over Esca's fingers and his own stomach.

Esca laughs, but it's not mocking or teasing. He's smiling when Marcus opens his eyes after not realizing he closed them. Esca holds him in a loose grip, stroking over his thigh with the other hand while Marcus calms down.

Marcus reaches out with numb fingers, blinking through his daze, but Esca just nuzzles his cheek against Marcus' palm.

Esca pulls away, wiping his hand in the grass. He comes back to Marcus and before any more words he's licking the leftover mess from Marcus' belly.

Marcus makes a noise as his cock gives an earnest twitch and he starts to say, "Esca," but he's pulling away again.

Esca looks up at the sky, at the reds and yellows and oranges of the dying light, and then smiles over at Marcus. "Let us get you dressed and may we go home, dear Marcus. I can be your dessert after we eat, hmm?"


End file.
